Barts Charity – Targeted Transformational Funding Scheme

Summary

Through its Targeted Transformational Funding scheme, Barts Charity is supporting infrastructure for research that benefits under-served groups in east London, home to one of the most ethnically diverse populations in the UK. This includes co-funding a new Clinical Research Facility, which will bring early-phase trials to east London for the first time and prioritise disease areas where the local population has higher incidence and/or poorer outcomes.

Background

Clinical trials for new treatments often don’t adequately reflect the likely make-up of the patient population, with minority and marginalised groups frequently under-represented. As a result, too little is known about the effectiveness of drugs in patients from minority ethnic backgrounds. For example, in 2023, researchers at Queen Mary University London funded by Barts Charity found that clopidogrel, a common heart disease medication used in the NHS for over two decades, was largely ineffective for many British South Asians of Bangladeshi and Pakistani ancestry.

Ensuring access to effective treatments could help prevent premature ill health, so research should reflect the communities it aims to serve. East London is among the UK’s most diverse areas, with around half of residents being from ethnic minority backgrounds. Additionally, the number of people living with long-term conditions in northeast London is expected to rise significantly over the next decade. This positions the region well to increase diversity in clinical trials, improving equity in healthcare provision.

Action

In 2023, to coincide with the 900th anniversary of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, Barts Charity partnered with Barts Health NHS Trust and Queen Mary University of London to establish a new Clinical Research Facility at The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. Barts Charity has invested over £14 million in the facility – £9m into building the facility, and £5m into supporting the development of the team for the first 5 years.

Impact

The new Clinical Research Facility will enable Barts Health and Queen Mary to significantly increase the number and scope of clinical trials run in east London. It will focus on diseases with higher incidence and/or poorer outcomes in the local population, addressing the specific health needs of the community, providing access to urgently needed treatments, and accelerating their roll-out. 

Until now, research facilities at Barts Health have not been able to support more complex research trials due to their infrastructure requirements. The new Clinical Research Facility will therefore be equipped with isolation rooms and overnight beds for enhanced monitoring, allowing it to accommodate trials across a broader range of disease areas, including first-in-human studies, medical device trials, and novel treatment trials for biologic, gene and cell therapies.

This will allow clinicians to expand studies into cures for rare diseases, advance medical devices for faster diagnostics, and develop personalised treatments for long term and inherited conditions. It will also give local residents access to cutting edge treatments.

The Clinical Research Facility will also recruit a diverse workforce who reflect the communities they serve. This team will aim to build trust and increase the numbers of local patients taking part in trials, and also ensure studies are accessible and mindful of any hidden bias. To complement this, a Community Advisory Group made up of 12 members of the local community. The group will help to guide the facility’s strategy, represent the local population in any plans, ensure researchers design trials that meet local needs, support trial recruitment in their communities, and disseminate the outcomes of any research back into their communities.

Building work on the Clinical Research Facility is scheduled to begin shortly.

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